The Iran war appears to be over, or so the ongoing ceasefire suggests. The oil market is certainly leaning into that view: the price of crude has dropped sharply in recent weeks and begins trading this week at around $70 a barrel for the U.S. benchmark, marking a return to the level on the eve of the war’s start on Feb. 28.
250 Years and Counting…
Total Return Forecasts: Major Asset Classes | 2 July 2026
The outlook for long-term total return for the Global Market Index (GMI) edged up again in June, touching the highest level in recent history. Despite the recent rise, the expected performance remains well below GMI’s realized return over the trailing ten-year window. In other words, GMI performance is forecast to downshift relative to the past decade.
Major Asset Classes | June 2026 | Performance Review
Markets were mixed in June after two solid monthly gains, based on a set of ETFs. Most of the major asset classes lost ground last month, with a handful of exceptions on the upside, led by US real estate investment trusts.
Will Micro Caps Steal The Momentum Factor’s Performance Crown?
Momentum continues to stand out as the dominant equity risk factor since the war with Iran began on Feb. 28. Using a set of ETFs as proxies highlights that this slice of the stock market remains, by far, the strongest performer since the Middle East crisis shocked the global economy.
US Stocks Still Lead Global Markets Since Iran Conflict Erupted
Geopolitical analysts are debating who triumphed in the Middle East conflict, but judging by asset prices the US is the clear winner. Measuring the major asset classes through a set of ETF proxies shows that American equities are the victors in the battle for performance through Friday’s close (June 26).
Book Bits: 27 June 2026
● Gerontocracy in America: How the Old Are Hoarding Power and Wealth―and What to Do About It
Samuel Moyn
Review via The Economist
America is ruled by the old, argues Samuel Moyn, a Yale professor, in “Gerontocracy in America”. It is not just that Donald Trump is 80 or that his predecessor left office at 82 and was palpably impaired. Mr Moyn sees a society that privileges the elderly, blocks the young and “is more set on preservation than on renovation”.
When it comes to politics, he has a point. American lawmakers grow mightier with seniority, and there is no good mechanism for getting rid of them when they can no longer do their jobs. Kay Granger, a member of Congress from Texas, served despite living in a retirement home and suffering from dementia. Dianne Feinstein, a senator from California who died in office at 90, often failed to understand what was going on around her.
Core Inflation’s Persistence Raises Questions for the Fed’s Strategy
The Federal Reserve has been keeping interest rates steady, waiting to see whether the recent inflation surge will be temporary. That decision carries more risk after yesterday’s update of the Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) index for May, which shows that pricing pressure is increasing for reasons beyond surging energy costs tied to the Iran conflict.
Oil Falls to Post‑War Low but Fed’s Path is Still Murky
The price of the U.S. benchmark for crude oil fell below $70 a barrel on Wednesday, marking the lowest level since the war with Iran began on Feb. 28. The sharp slide will ease pressure on headline inflation measures in the coming months. The question is whether the bond market will soon follow suit, and price in lower inflation risk? Hanging in the balance is the outlook for Federal Reserve rate hikes.
Global Bonds Stumble as Surging US Dollar Piles On the Pain
The Middle East conflict may have ended, but the damage lingers for foreign bonds from the perspective of US investors, based on a review of ETF performance from the start of the war on Feb. 28 through yesterday’s close (Jun. 23). The main headwinds: inflation worries and a rising US dollar.